Old Father Story Teller

Description

Six legends of New Mexico’s Santa Clara Pueblo are engagingly told and illustrated with 20 full-color reproductions of paintings by the renowned Native American artist Pablita Velarde. Her illustrated legends reveal the artist at her best, in this enchanting collection that will delight young and old alike.

I was one of the fortunate children of my generation who were probably the last to hear stories firsthand from great-Grandfather or Grandfather. I treasure that memory, and have tried to preserve it in this book so that my children as well as other people may have a glimpse of what used to be.—Pablita Verlarde, from the preface.

About the Author: Pablita Velarde, winner of many awards for her paintings depicting American Indian life and culture, was born at Santa Clara Pueblo in 1918. Her Indian name is Tse Tsan, which means Golden Dawn in her native Tewa language.

Pablita’s high school education was at the Santa Fe Indian School, where she studied under Dorothy Dunn, a graduate of the Chicago Art Institute. Following her graduation, she was commissioned by the National Park Service to execute a series of paintings and murals depicting Pueblo Indian life and culture for permanent display at the museum at Bandelier National Monument, near Santa Fe. Later, as her fame as an artist grew, she was commissioned to paint murals for various public and private buildings.

Pablita’s numerous awards and honors over the years have included the French government’s Ordre des Palmes Academiques, an honorary degree from the University of New Mexico, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Southwestern Association of Indian Arts.